Open Public Record Act:

In Arkansas, the Freedom of Information Act allows Arkansans access to public records and public meetings with a few exceptions. All records maintained by public employees that are within the scope of their employment (with some exemptions) and must be made available to the public within 3 business days after the request was received.

Notice of public meetings must be given to those who have requested to be notified. Closed sessions are only allowed for the following purposes: employment, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining or resignation of an employee.

Birth Records:

The Arkansas Department of Health houses all birth records for births that occurred within the state. It is gradually rolling out a plan to enable all local health units to be able to issue vital records (birth and death records) to the public.

There are several ways to request a birth certificate. You can order a copy online through Vital Records or by calling (866) 209-9482. You can also submit a completed application in person or by mail along with a check or money order made payable to the Arkansas Department of Health as well as a copy of a government-issued picture ID such as a driver’s license, an unexpired passport, a temporary resident card, a US military ID, and a tribal ID.

The cost of a birth certificate is $12 for the first copy and $10 for each additional copy. For online orders, an additional $5 will be charged as a standard processing fee and a $1.85 non-refundable identity verification fee.

Marriage Records:

Marriage records are can also be found in the vital records office of the Arkansas Department of Health. You can request for a marriage certificate online through the Vital Records website or by calling (866) 209-9482. The payment options for these two methods are through debit or credit card.

You can also submit a request via mail or in person. You will need to complete application form and submit the appropriate payment (check or money order made payable to Arkansas Department of Health) along with a copy of an acceptable government-issued ID such as a driver’s license, an unexpired passport, a temporary resident card, a US military ID, and a tribal ID. The processing time for marriage record requests is 10 to 14 days, including mail delivery time. For walk-ins, most requests can be fulfilled on the same day if the request was submitted before 4pm.

The cost of a marriage certificate is $10 per copy. For orders made online, you will be charged an additional processing fee of $5 and a non-refundable identification verification fee of $1.85.

Divorce Records:

Divorce records can also be obtained from the Vital Records office of the Arkansas Department of Health. You can submit a request online through the Vital Records website or over the phone by calling (866) 209-9482. Payment will be made via debit or credit card.

Requests are also accepted in person and via mail. You will need to submit a completed application as well as a check/money order made out to Arkansas Department of Health and a copy of an acceptable government-issued ID like a driver’s license, a valid passport, a temporary resident card, a US military ID, and a tribal ID. Processing time for requests sent through mail is 10-14 days including mail delivery time. For those who submit their request in person, you may be able to receive the record within the same day as long as it was submitted before 4pm.

A divorce record costs $10 per copy. If you order it online, you will be charged an additional processing fee of $5 and a $1.85 non-refundable identity verification fee.

Death Records:

The Arkansas Department of Health plans to enable all local health units to provide birth and death records to the public. You can check to see if your local health unit is already issuing death certificates on the website.

To get a death certificate, you can submit an order online through the Vital Records website or over the phone by calling (866) 209-9482. Keep in mind that the only payment methods accepted if you order through the website or phone are debit and credit cards.

You can also obtain a death certificate in person or be sending your request via mail. You will need to submit a completed form, a check/money order made payable to the Arkansas Department of Health, and a copy of a government-issued picture ID. Some of the acceptable forms of ID are driver’s license, a valid passport, a temporary resident card, a US military ID, and a tribal ID. The processing time for requests sent through mail is 10-14 days which already includes mail delivery time. Requests made in person may be fulfilled within the day provided it was submitted before 4pm.

The cost of a death certificate is $10 for the first copy and $8 for each additional copy of the same record that is ordered at the same time. For orders made online, an additional $5 processing fee will be charged along with a $1.85 non-refundable identity verification fee. These fees are non-refundable.

Missing People:

Information on missing individuals, both adults and children, can be found online at the Never Forgotten website. There is no waiting period for a person to be entered into the National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC’s) Missing Person File. These records are kept indefinitely until the missing person is located or the entering agency has canceled the record. There are several categories for missing persons: juvenile, endangered, involuntary, disability, catastrophe victim, and other.

Elected Officials:

If you wish to learn the elected officials in your area, you can use the Arkansas Government website’s search tool. You only need to input your address (street and city) to view the elected officials working for your area. Each elected official that comes up in your search results will have his/her photo, name, and position listed. Clicking on their photo will show you their office address as well as their website and email address.

Court Records

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Recorder

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